Lawmakers assess draft law’s impact on SMEs

Legislators yesterday urged the Government to ensure the draft Law on Support for Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) doesn't clash with other laws. — Photo baocongthuong.vn

HÀ NỘI — Legislators yesterday provided the Government with feedback on the draft Law on Support for Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), urging the drafter to ensure it was consistent with other relevant legislation.

With six chapters and 47 articles, the bill aims to enhance the efficiency of support for SMEs in line with market principles, while ensuring that it does not violate the country’s international commitments. It is also designed to create a legal framework to rally public support for the effort, the law drafting board said.

During their fourth working session in Hà Nội, the National Assembly Standing Committee focused discussion on the necessity of the law. NA Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân was concerned about the compatibility between the bill and other laws, one of them being the Enterprise Law 2015.

She asked the drafting board to clarify the relationship between support measures stipulated in the draft law and other laws, the compatibility between regulations in the bill and international conventions to which Việt Nam is a signatory, and the draft law’s impact on the country’s economic and financial landscape.

Apart from analysing conflicts between the draft law and other specialised laws, Chairman of the NA’s Law Committee Nguyễn Khắc Định suggested the bill should also ensure harmony with the laws on Corporate Income Tax, Investment, Land, Credit Organisations, Science-Technology, Bidding and Competition.

Concluding the discussions, NA Vice Chairman Phùng Quốc Hiển said the NA Standing Committee wanted the law to be feasible and consistent with existing laws. He asked the compiling board to prepare a report assessing the bill’s impact.

In the afternoon session, National Assembly deputies discussed the draft law on planning, focusing on planning systems, types of planning and authority to approve planning.

Many deputies said planning was a big issue and asked the compiling board to clarify the types of planning and clearly review other related laws to prevent overlapping.

Regarding the authority to approve planning, some deputies said more study was needed. They pointed out that while the Land Law stipulates that the Government must submit the national land planning to the NA for approval, the draft law on planning says the Government would approve the land planning itself.

The deputies also discussed preparation for the 2nd session of the 14th National Assembly, which is expected to take place within 24 days with the last day on November 19.

NA Secretary General Nguyễn Hạnh Phúc proposed the committee allow the supplementation of contents relating to the economic restructuring plan in 2016-2020 and the withdrawl of the bill on commune policemen and the revised law on corruption prevention and combat for perfection .

Several contents pertaining to lessons and solutions to protect the environment in the report on works to fix consequences of the Formosa-caused environmental incident; solutions to ensure food hygiene and safety, and climate change-caused socio-economic damage and solutions in the report on socio-economic performance; and management and use of ODA in 2011-2015 in the report on goals and orientations to mobilise and use loans and public debts need to be clearer before submitting to the NA, he said. — VNS